Getting around Derby

Just 13 miles and 30 minutes’ drive away, East Midlands Airport is a major international hub for low-cost airlines including Jet2 and Ryanair. Flying to domestic and short-haul European destinations, the airport welcomes around five million passengers each year. The 24-hour Skylink bus service runs every 20 minutes during the day and hourly at night, with tickets for the 40-minute journey available from the driver. Travelling by car will take around half an hour, with a variety of long, mid- and short-term parking options available. Alternatively, you could stay overnight in one of our hotels near East Midlands Airport.

With 24 local bus services and five national coach bays, the Derby Bus Station in the Riverlights district is well connected with services near and far. There is a convenience store, café, toilets and plenty of seating, with the ticket counter open from 8.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday and until 1pm on Saturday. There are several park and ride schemes in the city at Pride Park and the Meteor Centre Park. Derby Bus Station was the first purpose-built bus station in the country, dating back to 1933 with today’s Riverlights Bus Station built in 2010 offering a stark modern contrast.

Once one of the largest stations in the country, Derby Train Station is built on the edge of the city centre and is a six-platform affair that dates back to 1839. A well-connected station, trains run regularly to London, Sheffield, Newcastle and Edinburgh as well as further afield to Plymouth, Aberdeen and Cardiff. With direct access via a footbridge to the Pride Park Business Park and the Derby County stadium, the train station is equipped with a useful park and ride scheme and is the home of the Skylink bus service that connects to East Midlands Airport. The station, half a mile from our City Centre (Riverlights) hotel, is equipped with a shop, bar and coffee shop, with a multi-million-pound renovation due to be finished towards the end of 2018.

Offering everything from adult bikes to pushchairs and mobility scooters to bikes for children, you’ll find Derwent Cycle Hire Centre in the Derwent Valley, next to several reservoirs and near some gorgeous woodlands. Open from February to November, they’ll give you plenty of advice on cycle trails if you need it, with bikes hired on a first come, first served basis, with bookings of 10 bikes and more taken in advance. The site is also equipped with toilets, a small café and visitor centre as well as a small workshop for running bike repairs.

If you’d like to explore the Peak District on two wheels, head to Parsley Hay Cycle Hire Centre. Eight miles from Buxton and located on the High Peak and Tissington Trail, the perfect location for exploring the South West and White Peak. They have a range of bikes on offer including adult bikes with child seats and trailers, tandems and a range of trikes and scooters, with an on-site café, toilets, bike racks and picnic tables.